Feed regulating device



Dec. 20, 1938. D. BUCClC ONE FEED REGULATiNG DEVICE Filed March 15,1'93"? UNITED "STATES Patented Dec. 20, 1938 PATENT OFFICE Claims.

- This invention relatesto feed regulating devices, and moreparticularly to those which are operative on strip materials.

In the, steel industry, by way of example, con- 5 siderable diflicultyhas been experienced in regulating the feed of metallic strip. When themetallic strip has a highly finished surface it is importantv that it bekept free of any marking.

With the high delivery speeds now being utilized,

it is diflicult to shear metallic strip without marking its surface.For-example, where metallic strip is fed from a leveling device to aflying shear, the

rollers of the leveler exert a forward pushing action. This pushingactionis normally uniform and positive and, in order to obtain afinished product of satisfactory quality, it is essential that thisaction be so maintained. The difficulty of maintaining this uniform andpositive forward metallic strip causes it to slip in the rolls oftheleveler, and results in marking its surface along its lines ofcontact with said rolls.

Attempts have been made to'overcome this difficult by means ofestablishing an excess loop of mate ial between the leveling and flyingshear, whereby the pull exerted on the material by the flying shearmight be prevented from transmittal back to the leveling device. Themaintenance of this loop so as to obtain satisfactory performance of theshearing or other operation has, in turn, .been extremely diflicult, dueto the fact that the materials vary over a considerable range in width,

4) thickness, shearing strength, flexibility, and other physicalcharacteristics. The requirements of the loop of material consequentlyvary accordingly. As the loop is increased to meet'the requirements of aparticular material, the more difllcult it becomes to maintain thepositive pushing action of the leveling device which feeds out thematerial.

The looped strip, if left free, has a tendency to buckle and to shiftout of its original proper alignment with respect to the shear,resulting in inaccurate cutting. The looped strip, if restrained inposition betweenfixed limits, will not be capable of absorbing variableamounts of momentary forward pull exerted by the flying shear.

It is among the objects of the present invention to accurately regulatethe feed of strip materials in such manner as to avoid the diflicultiespreviously mentioned.

Another object is to provide a novel device for maintaining an excesslength of the materialbeing operatedupon which may be quickly and con- 5'venientlv adjusted to accommodate materials of Figure 1;

Figure3 is an enlarged detail; and, 15 Figure 4 is a view similar toFigure 2, but disclosing a modification.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 2 generallydesignates any device which is constructed and arranged to feed stripma- 20 'terial. In the present instance, this device 2 is shown ascomprising the exit end of a rollerleveler of conventional design. Aflying shear 3 is shown as disposed adjacent but spaced from theroller-leveler 2 and constructed and arranged 25 to shear the strip fedthereby.

A preferred embodiment of the device of the invention comprises asuitably supported table 5 having a longitudinally concave top 6 whichis preferably of a non-magnetic material, such as. brass or stainlesssteel. If desired, the concave top 8 of the table 5 may be provided witha. suitable soft covering, such as felt, or the like. This table 5 isprovided with a series of transversely aligned pairs of apertures 8, theupper ends of 35 which are countersunk, as shown at 9. Each of theseapertures carries a countersunk screw H) which supports on its,lower enda bracket l2. Each pair of transversely aligned brackets l2 carries thesolenoid winding ll of an electro- 40 magnet which is provided with apair of spacedapart, oppositely extending poles H. The extended ends ofthe poles H closely underlie the underside of the table 5 and are freelymovable with respect thereto. 45

The solenoid windings iii of the transversely parallel electro-magnetsare connected to electric power lines l6 by means of a suitable wiringcircuit I! which has incorporated therein a handoperated rheostat l8. V'80 The effective spread of the magnetic field 'de-, sired can easily beregulatedby extending or retracting the poles I4 and fixing them inposition by means of set-screws which extend through the brackets ii.The strength of the magnetic I6 I field is regulated by the setting of,the handoperated rheostat it. The extent of time of these factors isdetermined by the physical characteristics (e. g., gauge, flexibility,shearing strength, etc.) of the particular strip S.

In operation, the roller leveler 2 is set in motion and the strip Spropelled by the positive forward pushing action thereof, advancing itonto the top 6 of the table 5. The strip S then enters the magneticfield established by the electro-magnets. The magnetic field, byexerting a pull on the strip S, causes it to contact the longitudinallyconcave top 5 of the table 5 and conform to the shape thereof:

The strip S progresses across the concave top 6 of the table 5 insimilar form, having thereby developed in it an excess length, or loop.The positive forward pushing action exerted by the roller-leveler 2contlnues'undiminished due to the fact that the strip S is restrained,bythe action of the magnetic field, from any motion except that ofadvancing along the concave top 6 of the table 5. Likewise, the originalalignment of the strip S is maintained. on entering the flying shear iithe strip S encounters amomentary tendency on the part of the former topull it forwardly at a higher speed than the delivery speed of therollerleveler 2. This tendency is in the form of a spasmodic jerk but isprevented from transmittal through the strip S back to theroller-leveler 2 by the device of the invention, whereby the marking ofthe strip in the roller-leveler is prevented. That is, the pullingtendency, or spasmodic jerk, draws the strip S out of its loop Xafforded by the concave top 6 of the table 5 and against the yieldableopposition offered by the magnetic field established by theelectro-magnets. Thus, the oncoming strip S, advancingacross the concavetop 6 of the table 5, is directed into the loop X of excess material inproper alignment until the shearing cut is made, upon which thespasmodic jerk of the flying shear will pull it into the dotted lineposition, shown at Y.

The foregoing description is intended to apply only to metallic striphaving substantial para-/ magnetic properties.

Referring to Figure 4, I have disclosed a modified form of the device ofthe invention, for use in regulating the feed of strip material havinglittle or no paramagnetic characteristics. According to thismodification, the elements heretofore discussed are all utilized,together with a horizontally disposed guide it having a longitudinallyconvex bottom surface 2!. which corresponds in contour to thelongitudinally concave top 5 of the table 5. This horizontally disposedguide 2b is formed of material having substantial paramagneticcharacteristics and is suitably pivoted, as shown at 22, at its endwhich is most adjacent the roller-leveler 2. If desired, thelongitudinally convex bottom surface iii of the guide it may be providedwith a suitable soft covering,

such as felt or the like. The response of the guide it to the magneticfield is identical with that of the paramagnetic strip S in Figures 3.,2 and '3.

While I have shown and described several specific embodiments of theinvention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limitedexactly thereto since various modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, as defined by the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for regulating the feedof metallic strip comprising meansfor pushing the strip forwardly, means for receiving the pushed stripand pulling the same forwardly, and electromagnetic means intermediate.said first-named means and said second-named means for yield-' betweensaid first-named means and said secondnamed means, said feed tablehaving a concave surface, and means for yieldably maintaining the pushedstrip in the concave surface of said feed table, said means forreceiving the pushed strip and pulling the same forwardly being capableof overcoming said last-named means.

3. Apparatus for regulating the feed of metallic strip comprising meansfor pushing the strip forwardly, means for receiving the pushed stripand pulling the same forwardly, a feed table between said first-namedmeans and said secondnamed means, said feed table having a concavesurface, and electro-magnetic means for yieldably maintaining the pushedstrip in the concave surface of said feed table, said means forreceiving the pushed strip and pulling the same forwardly being capableof overcoming said magnetic means.

Apparatus for regulating the feed of a strip comprising means forpushing said strip forwardly, a paramagnetic guide for deflecting themovement of said strip out of its normal path and magnetic means foryieldingly maintaining said paramagnetic guide in strip-deflectingposition.

5- Apparatus for regulating the feed of metallic strip comprising meansfor pushing the strip forwardly, means for receiving the pushed stripand pulling the same forwardly, a feed table between said first-namedmeans and said secondnamed means, said feed table having a concavesurface, and paramagnetic means for yleldably maintaining said strip inthe concave surface of said feed table, said means for receiving thepushed strip and pulling the same forwardly being capable of overcomingsaid last-named means.

DARIQ BUCCICOm.

